PLANKSTADT, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--International Chemical Investors Group (ICIG) and the Solvay Group have entered into an agreement under which ICIG will acquire Peptisyntha SA, the Brussels, Belgium, based custom manufacturer of peptides for pharmaceutical use. Upon closing of the deal, expected later this fall, Peptisyntha will become a member of ICIG’s CordenPharma platform as its third site offering peptides manufacturing.

“With Peptisyntha, we are adding industry-leading liquid phase synthesis capabilities and a team of highly skilled staff. Together with our solid-phase, hybrid synthesis, and development capacities at our sites in Boulder, Colorado, and Liestal, Switzerland, we will be in an excellent position to offer customers the full range of peptide synthesis strategies and services”, says Christian Ewers, Chief Operating Officer of CordenPharma’s API business.

For Solvay, the divestiture marks another step in focusing on its core industrial activities, and completes the group’s exit from life science activities.

As a CordenPharma member company, Peptisyntha will continue to execute its growth strategy, serving a wide range of applications and customers. While the US sister company Peptisyntha Inc., Torrance, California, is not part of the transaction, certain of its customer relationships will be assumed by Peptisyntha in Brussels.

As an international chemical group, SOLVAY assists industries in finding and implementing ever more responsible and value-creating solutions. The Group is firmly committed to sustainable development and focused on innovation and operational excellence. Solvay serves diversified markets, generating 90% of its turnover in activities where it is one of the top three worldwide. The group is headquartered in Brussels, employs about 29,000 people in 55 countries and generated 12.4 billion euros in net sales in 2012. Solvay SA SOLB.BE) is listed on NYSE Euronext in Brussels and Paris (Bloomberg: SOLB.BB - Reuters: SOLBt.BR).

International Chemical Investors Group (ICIG) is a privately owned industrial holding company focusing on mid-sized chemicals and pharmaceutical businesses. Since inception in 2004, ICIG has acquired 19 businesses, all of which have origins in major global chemical or pharmaceutical corporations and are independently managed. ICIG companies currently employ more than 3,500 people and operate 19 manufacturing facilities in Europe and the United States with total sales of approximately €800 million. For more information about International Chemical Investors Group: www.ic-investors.com.

CordenPharma is the pharmaceutical brand of International Chemical Investors Group. Formed in 2006, CordenPharma is a full-service partner for cGMP Contract Development & Manufacturing (CDMO) of oral, sterile, highly potent and antibiotic pharmaceutical Drug Products and associated Packaging Services. In APIs, CordenPharma is a leading CDMO service provider in chiral synthesis and other advanced APIs. They additionally produce specific pharmaceutical ingredients such as peptides, synthetic lipids, carbohydrates and highly potent APIs. For more information about CordenPharma: www.cordenpharma.com.